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Post by kirby101 on Sept 18, 2022 8:55:49 GMT -5
I was only reading Conan at the time, though within a year would start back ordering all those other superhero issues. I missed Conan #2 at the newstand (poor distribution in FL?) But found it in a second hand store a few months latter. Absolutely loved it.
I have a hard time remembering comics I read last month, but almost all of those issues are still vivid in my mind.
I would rate the B Smith Kazar much higher, but then again. I am a Smith fanatic.
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Post by Myke Gee on Oct 1, 2022 21:50:36 GMT -5
It's been a couple of weeks since I posted one of these on this site. I really intended to have been caught up with the Facebook posts (currently at February 1977), but I just haven't had the time. Anyway, as always, I hope that you enjoy this.*ORIGINALLY POSTED ON FACEBOOK ON AUGUST 31, 2019*
OCTOBER 1970
(Cover Date: December 1970/January 1971) This week, I give you my thoughts on the October 1970 books (Cover Dated: January 1971).
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #92. This one I read years ago in MARVEL TALES, however, I don’t remember a thing about it other than Iceman and Sam Bullit. So, last issue, the corrupt candidate for District Attorney, Bullit, uses the death of Captain George Stacy to promote a “law and order” platform to get elected. He, also, uses a grieving Gwen to help further his agenda. Suspecting a connection between Peter and Spider-Man because of the photos, Bullit sends his goons to coerce Spider-Man’s whereabouts from Peter. Not wanting to give away his secret, Peter plays along and switches to Spidey afterward. After easily kicking the tails of Bullit’s goons, Spidey heads home only to find, both, Gwen and Bullit in Peter Parker’s apartment. This issue, he gets the bone-headed idea to grab Gwen and jump out of the window. (His plan was to be such a jerk, no way would she connect Spidey to Peter 🙄) Unfortunately, Bobby Drake happens to witness this and decides that the Iceman should “rescue” Gwen. We get a pretty good hero vs hero battle afterward. Later, when J. Jonah Jameson pulls the Daily Bugles’ support of Bullit, Bullit gets mad and tries to get even. Pretty good yarn that feels just a little bit rushed, at times, but still a more than enjoyable read. Grade: A-
DAREDEVIL #71. While patrolling the streets by night, Daredevil tries to break up a fist fight, but it turns out it had been faked in order to serve him a summons to court, to testify in the case against the New York Three. Meanwhile, Buck Ralston travels to New York in order to personally execute the Three in his costumed identity of the Tribune. On the day of the big trial, Matt fakes a headache so he can have an excuse not to attend the trial, thus allowing him to attend as Daredevil. Concurrently, the Tribune incapacitates the judge that will be presiding over the case and then takes control of the courtroom. Initially, Daredevil is reluctant to do anything because the Tribune's men are surrounding the courtroom and he didn’t want to get innocent people hurt. While on the witness stand, he hears "an almost infinitesimal hum coming from the Tribune's belt!" He leaps to action, and smashes the belt, releasing the Tribune's men from the hypnotic control they were under. The Tribune leaves a bomb and tries to get away in a helicopter, but Daredevil throws the bomb at the escaping villain. It explodes and Tribune seemingly perishes. The Tribune and his ilk continue to be the problem with this book. Daredevil HAS to have THE worst Rogue’s Gallery in all of comics. Not only are they bland characters, but, they even look lame. These deficiencies take away from the overall result, for me. A shame because I really liked the first part of this story. Grade: C-
INCREDIBLE HULK #135. I don’t know what it is about Kang stories that trigger my “boredom sense”. I can’t think of a single one that I’ve even slightly enjoyed. I just find him such a boring character. In this issue, he kidnaps the Hulk who’s having an isolated bliss moment. He sends the Hulk back in time to WW1 to “destroy” Bruce Banner’s grandfather. If Grandpa Banner dies, Bruce’s parents are never born. Thus, no Bruce means no Hulk which, also, means that Thor, Iron Man, Ant-Man, and the Wasp never team up to stop the Hulk. Ergo...NO AVENGERS! PLUS, the Phantom Eagle fits into this plot, as well. For whatever reason, I found it hard to care about this story. Grade: D
CAPTAIN AMERICA #133. "Red Skull, AIM, MODOK. Wash, rinse, repeat.” I said this a couple of reviews ago or so. It’s one of the things that plague this book. A weak Rogues Gallery isn’t the issue here, but the lack of one. When he’s not “washing, rinsing and, definitely, repeating”, he’s up against a 4th-rater or barely-rater. So, it’s “rinse and repeat” time as MODOK and AIM are back.....aaaaagain. This time, we learn MODOK’s origin and...WOW!! His hatred of Captain America is motivated by petty jealousy?!! *Sigh* Okay, there are worse motivations, I guess. So now, MODOK devises a “foolproof plan” that will end Captain America forever!!! (Mind you, he reduced an AIM agent to ashes with his mind, but, Cap “must suffer”, so no mind disintegration for Cap. 😩😤😪) He has his AIM scientists create a Golem-like creature from clay and calls him “Bulldozer Man” 🤦🏽♂️ BM is a real powerhouse, but, Cap and the Falcon give it a go. Okay, enough of this!!! The best thing that I can say about this issue is that Cap and the Falcon are, finally, now partners. It wasn’t horrible, but, quite pedestrian. Grade: C
SUB-MARINER #33. THE SUB-MARINER has been an up and down book in 1970; more up than down, fortunately. Well, this month, it’s a little on the downside as Byrrah returns in, yet, another attempt to take over the throne of Atlantis. While returning from a long swim from Lemuria, a weary Namor stops to sleep. As he slept, a nuclear warhead detonated near Atlantis, and the Atlanteans are ticked because Namor wasn’t there. Enter Byrrah who plays the “Where was Namor when needed most” card. Just as the people were about to name Byrrah their new prince, Namor arrives. Immediately, Namor suspects Byrrah was responsible for the explosion but had no proof. Namor agrees to 24 hours to provide the proof or he would abdicate the throne. While I wasn’t close to being bored with this story and even enjoyed it to some extent, I still have a hard time giving it a very high grade. Once again, I wish there was a grade between C+ and B- 😄 because that’s where this story feels like it should be. Grade: B-
AMAZING ADVENTURES #4. Inhumans: The Inhumans have always been an interesting group, to me. More interesting, as I’ve noticed over the years, is how writers use them. It took me a while to come to this conclusion, but, in my opinion, the biggest mistake most writers make when using them is treating them like another superhero team. They’re not. They’re an enhanced race of beings trying to live everyday lives and these, in particular, are the Royal Family. So, having them battle the Mandarin seems a little odd, to me. Granted, they were merely defending their homeland, but still......*Meh* I don’t know. I guess I’m looking for something a bit “grander” in scope but, it is only 1970. Grade: C
Black Widow: Who is “MiMi Gold”? Is that a pen name for a more familiar writer? Well, whoever she is, she wrote the final chapter of the Black Widow story begun by Gary Friedrich. She provides a so-so ending to a storyline that started off pretty good. Or maybe it’s the rushed feeling that I’m starting to get as I read these split books. Odd, that they never felt like this to me when TALES OF SUSPENSE and TALES TO ASTONISH were on sale. The best part of this story is the Gene Colan and Bill Everette artwork. Grade: C+
KA-ZAR QUARTERLY #3. As with the first two issues, this issue reprints Ka-Zar’s adventures from previous issues of AMAZING SPIDER-MAN and DAREDEVIL. The third feature in this issue is part 2 of the Angel vs the Dazzler story written by Superman Co-creator, Jerry Siegel. As a story, it’s the typical revenge story as the Angel goes after the Dazzler for the murder of his father. The one thing that puzzles me is that I could have sworn that both his parents died in a car accident. At least, that’s what I thought I read in an issue of THE CHAMPIONS. At any rate, an average yarn that concludes in MARVEL TALES #30 (which, I guess, is now on my reading list). Grade: C
THOR #183. Thor is still in Latveria to rescue the father of Cossette LaFarge; the daughter of a French scientist that Doom kidnapped years ago to design Latveria’s missile systems. Having escaped from brief captivity, himself (as Donald Blake), Thor uses Mjolnir to redirect a missile meant for him for fear that eluding it will cause the death of many Latverians. This action causes Thor to be without his hammer for more than 60 seconds and he reverts back to Blake. After the hammer falls back to Earth, of course, Doom tries to seize it, but Odin’s enchantment prevents him from lifting it. Determined that no one will have it but him, Doom surrounds the hammer with an energy field. Blake, eventually, finds the hammer and outsmarts Doom’s guards into helping him retrieve it. The ensuing battle between Thor and Doom is worth the price of admission and the outcome of his rescuing the scientist is really, kind of, messed up, but it was an interesting plot twist. Grade: A-
IRON MAN #33. During the Michelinie/Romita Jr/Layton run, one of my favorite stories featured the Spymaster. So, I was quite eager to read his first appearance. Here, he’s planning on destroying Stark Industries and he’s brought a team called the Espionage Elite along with him to help. There are many scenes in this story that include Stark taking a pensive trip down Memory Lane, the various steps taken by the Elite for the destruction, Stark trying to salvage his relationship with Jasper Sitwell, and Kevin O’Brien causing problems at S.I. All of these scenes make the story feel like it’s moving a bit slow, but, they’re actually necessary and it’s interesting trying to figure out where it’s all leading. The only gripe is that you see more of the Espionage Elite than the Spymaster. Grade: B-
FANTASTIC FOUR #106. So, in the last issue, Sue and Johnny came face-to-face with a strange energy being capable of canceling out Johnny’s flame. Meanwhile, Crystal’s departure sparked an idea for another cure for Ben. As the energy being is running amok in NY, Sue tells Johnny to go get Reed while she holds off the creature. Only, if Reed leaves Ben to help Sue, Ben May never be cured and if he stays to help Ben, Sue May die. Of course, Reed finds a way to continue to help Ben while he goes to aid Sue. I had fun with this story, but, it’s hardly a classic FF tale, but, it ain’t bad either. Grade: B
AVENGERS #83. The debut of the Lady Liberators (just called the Liberators in this story). I was mildly anticipating this issue because I vaguely recall hearing about them in another book. The Wasp joins the Scarlet Witch, the Black Widow, Medusa, and “the Valkyrie”. I was thrown a little because I know that this isn’t the issue where she made her debut. All will be revealed by the end of the book. Meanwhile, the Vision, the Black Panther, Quicksilver, and Goliath are in Vermont to participate in a Halloween parade that also features a prominent scientist. That’s when the Masters of Evil (Klaw, Radioactive Man, the Melter, and Whirlwind) attempt to kidnap the scientist until the Avengers intervene. The battle was pretty even until the arrival of the Liberators. Something about this story felt...off. I can’t place my finger on it, but there was a contrived feeling about it. Grade: C+
As always, I appreciate the support, and let me know what you think. What you like and, definitely, what you dislike. Also, as always, until next week, take care.
Top Books of the Month:
1) AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #92
2) THOR #183
3) FANTASTIC FOUR #106
4) SUB-MARINER #33
5) IRON MAN #33
Top Covers of the Month:
1) AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #92
2) INCREDIBLE HULK #135
3) DAREDEVIL #71
4) S.H.I.E.L.D. #17
5) FEAR #2
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Post by Icctrombone on Oct 2, 2022 1:53:28 GMT -5
Impressions:
I never read the word interesting attached to the name Inhumans
I liked those FF books with the Romita Sr. Artwork. I vaguely remember Sue going into battle wearing a pants suit. The only time I think.
Kang has always failed for me because time travel stories can never be written correctly. No rules for it and why doesn’t he just appear to fight his opponents every 5 minutes until he wins?
Thor rescuing a kidnapped scientist was a early silver age type of plot. Anything to get him to fight Doom I suppose.
All the Spider-man books from the Romita sr era , while nice to look at, annoyed me. He faces a villain, wins, but still walks away with his head down at the end. I couldn’t stomach it after a while.
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Post by EdoBosnar on Oct 2, 2022 5:07:07 GMT -5
(...)
AMAZING ADVENTURES #4. Inhumans: The Inhumans have always been an interesting group, to me. More interesting, as I’ve noticed over the years, is how writers use them. It took me a while to come to this conclusion, but, in my opinion, the biggest mistake most writers make when using them is treating them like another superhero team. They’re not. They’re an enhanced race of beings trying to live everyday lives and these, in particular, are the Royal Family. So, having them battle the Mandarin seems a little odd, to me. Granted, they were merely defending their homeland, but still......*Meh* I don’t know. I guess I’m looking for something a bit “grander” in scope but, it is only 1970. Grade: C
(...) In the Inhumans series from the mid-/late 1970s (which featured early art by both George Perez and Keith Pollard), writer Doug Moench made some attempt to avoid telling run-of-the-mill superhero stories, instead focusing on society in Attilan and its problems. It obviously wasn't successful, as the series was cancelled after 12 issues (and one of those contained a reprint of an earlier Kirby story), but I recall thinking it was pretty solid - although the last time I read any of those issues was back in the early 1980s when I was still in my early teens. |
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Post by chaykinstevens on Oct 2, 2022 12:44:38 GMT -5
Len Wein was the uncredited scripter of pages 6-20 of Daredevil #71 while Roy Thomas was away on vacation.
Mimi Gold was Sten Lee's secretary. She wrote a few stories, including Iron Man #29, but was more prolific as a colourist, including stints on Conan the Barbarian, Daredevil and Incredible Hulk.
Did you skip reading Jerry Siegel's Angel story in Ka-Zar #3?
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Post by Myke Gee on Oct 21, 2022 18:39:44 GMT -5
Len Wein was the uncredited scripter of pages 6-20 of Daredevil #71 while Roy Thomas was away on vacation. Mimi Gold was Sten Lee's secretary. She wrote a few stories, including Iron Man #29, but was more prolific as a colourist, including stints on Conan the Barbarian, Daredevil and Incredible Hulk. Did you skip reading Jerry Siegel's Angel story in Ka-Zar #3? Sorry for the delayed response. I just saw the question. As for KA-ZAR #3, I remember reading that story and reviewing it. I don't know why it's not here. I'll find it and add it. |
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Post by Myke Gee on Oct 21, 2022 18:50:42 GMT -5
Len Wein was the uncredited scripter of pages 6-20 of Daredevil #71 while Roy Thomas was away on vacation. Mimi Gold was Sten Lee's secretary. She wrote a few stories, including Iron Man #29, but was more prolific as a colourist, including stints on Conan the Barbarian, Daredevil and Incredible Hulk. Did you skip reading Jerry Siegel's Angel story in Ka-Zar #3? Okay, I found my review of that issue and included it in the post. |
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Post by Myke Gee on Oct 21, 2022 21:09:03 GMT -5
Once again, it's been a few weeks since I posted one of these. Lot's of stuff going on. Anyway, as always, I hope you enjoy it.*ORIGINALLY POSTED ON FACEBOOK ON SEPTEMBER 8TH, 2019* NOVEMBER 1970
(Cover Date: January/February 1971)
Here are my thoughts on the November 1970 books.AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #93. In ASM #87, Spider-Man asked Hobie Brown, aka the Prowler, to help him put his secret identity genie back in the bottle. Now, after reading and, somewhat, believing the newspaper stories that Spider-Man killed Captain Stacy, he’s worried that that little charade may have made him complicit in Capt. Stacy’s murder. Meanwhile, Gwen gets a call from her uncle in London and an invitation to come live with them. As Peter decides to go to Gwen and, maybe, reveal his identity, that’s when the Prowler attacks. As always with this book, good, fast-paced storytelling. The creators are still firing on all cylinders, in my opinion. Grade: ADAREDEVIL #72. Ever since I first discovered Tagak the Leopard Lord in the classic “Defender for a Day” storyline, I’ve always wanted to read this issue. Now, that I have....meh. Again, far from a horrible issue, but not a great one, either. The problem with the DD series, lately, is that it suffers from terminal banality. Tagak is introduced this month and a potentially good (not great, mind you) character is brought to us in a story that feels like, yet, another inventory story; like quite a few DD stories in the last couple of years. Even before the Frank Miller days, Daredevil was always one of my favorite characters. Now, it feels like some of the luster is coming off the character. Still, I’m hanging in there. Grade: C-INCREDIBLE HULK #136. Some types of stories can instantly grab my attention and other types have the exact opposite effect. Case-in-point: the Hulk fighting a giant monster from outer space called Klaatu. (Wasn’t that the robot’s name or something in “The Day the Earth Stood Still”, LoL!!) Anyway, he’s here and is being pursued by an alien called the Xeron the Star-Slayer. They’re both supposed to be complete badasses and, I suppose to some degree, they are. Yet, badass characters don’t, automatically, mean interesting characters and that’s the problem here. They both feel so...”generic”. The most interesting thing is who shows up at the end. That’s who I’m looking forward to seeing next month. Grade: CCAPTAIN AMERICA & THE FALCON #134. Although the indicia still says Captain America, I’ve been dying to type that. 😄Their first official story as partners finds them up against Stone-Face. (I thought was just a throwaway villain for MTU) He’s a small-time Harlem gangster who runs numbers. The Falcon’s young nephew is a member of his crew and idolizes him. The Falcon knows this and is trying to save the boy before he gets deeper into the life of crime. Nice way to ease into the new partnership. No need to do the Red Skull/AIM/MODOK thing just yet, although, the Falcon has shown that he’s more than capable of standing up to the Skull. Grade: B-SUB-MARINER #34. Another highly anticipated issue for me. Please correct me if I’m wrong, but this issue was the genesis of the Defenders, right? At any rate, this was well worth the wait! Namor learns of a global threat and seeks allies. The Silver Surfer returns for the first time since the cancellation of his book and meets Namor for the first time. Since I’m a sucker for superhero battles, I was in hog heaven!!! Then, once they called a truce, the two search for the Hulk, who has taken refuge on a small island called San Pablo, and we witness ol’ Greenskin take them both on. Meanwhile, the island is run by a dictator with delusions of grandeur. Thinking that the “Gringos” are there for him, he has his military attack the “Titans Three” and it’s laughable because any ONE of them could defeat the entire army ALONE! So, after the complete dismantling of the small army, an alliance is formed and I’m still smiling! 😁 Grade: AASTONISHING TALES #4. Dr. Doom: The threat to Doom’s reign has ended as Prince Rudolfo and his rebels were defeated last issue. Castle Doom was destroyed during the battle and Doom has his subjects rebuild it; leaving Latveria until they have finished. Meanwhile, the Red Skull and the Exiles invade Latveria while Doom is away. Even more interesting than the invasion of Latveria is Doom’s interaction with high society, lol! Pretty decent story. Grade: C+Ka-Zar: Zaladane attacks the peaceful city of Vala-Kuri and Ka-Zar goes to fight on their behalf. Meanwhile, we learn a little bit more about Garrok as he becomes even more powerful. In the middle of the battle, Garrok rejoins Ka-Zar and confronts his High Priestess, and he is not happy. Again, we have a story that should be more than its finished product. We have a powerful Sun-God, a fanatical High Priestess, a jungle lord, and his loyal sabretooth, plus an all-out war. Yet, I felt like that kid whose mom is making him eat his carrots and peas, lol!!! Grade: C-THOR #184. Growing up, I was always a fan of the super teams first. Books with one hero were not my go-to, initially. A friend of mine once said, “but that’s when you see what they can really do”, lol!! Reading this issue made me recall that conversation. Man is Thor a serious badass!!! Of course, I already knew this but, sometimes, a reminder is needed. Kirby is gone, but Stan crafts a great opening chapter of an impending doom from a place called “The World Beyond”. After Odin leaves to investigate this place, Loki decides to end his exile and, once again, ally himself with the Storm Giants and the Rock Trolls. On top of that, they kidnap Balder in his sleep. Already in a foul mood, Thor, singlehandedly, goes to rescue him. Loki. Storm Giants. Rock Trolls. Well, let’s just say that all three combined were not enough as Thor opens up a can of “Whip-ass” for ages!!! 😂 Grade: AIRON MAN #34. Continuing Iron Man’s first battle with the Spymaster and his Espionage Elite. Stark was captured at the end of last issue and his reverie as he awakens serves as a brief recap. The Spymaster returns to Stark Industries with his hostage and the Elite with one member disguised as Nick Fury. Also, captured last issue was Kevin O’Brien who is quite resourceful. He escapes his bonds and is off to help fight the takeover. Jasper Sitwell also is prepared to engage but is overcome by two members of the Elite. When O’Brien takes on the Elite’s master of disguise (now, disguised as Stark), the real Stark slips away and puts on his armor. We do get a pretty good fight between Iron Man and the Spymaster, who is quite formidable. Good story, but it felt a little slow at times. This story continues in next month’s IRON MAN and in next month’s issue of DAREDEVIL. Grade: B-FANTASTIC FOUR #107. In the last couple of issues, Reed was working on returning Ben to normal but got sidetracked fighting a strange energy being. Now, that that threat is over, he’s back to helping Ben, and this time he succeeds. Not only has Ben reverted back to his human form, but he can now change to the Thing and back at will. However, this ability seems to be having an adverse effect on Ben’s personality. Meanwhile, a man called Janus has arrived at the Baxter Building and is demanding that Reed send him into the Negative Zone. When Reed refuses, he surprisingly attacks Reed and enters on his own. I’ve always wanted Ben to gain control over his ability to become the Thing, but, of course, that couldn’t last because we, as fans, love the tragic hero. (I’m guessing that that’s always been the justification for keeping him a full-time monster) Still, it was a very enjoyable story and I can’t wait for the next part. Grade: B+AVENGERS #84. Aside from the great story in MARVEL SUPERHEROES #17, stories that feature the Black Knight don’t really do much for me. This is quite disappointing because I really want to like the character, but he really doesn’t move the needle much for me. So, this story begins with him trying to discern whether he controls the Ebony Blade or if it controls him. When he finds that he couldn’t bring himself to destroy it, his question was answered. Suddenly, he’s attacked by Arkon the Magnificent (just ask him 😏). Somehow, this scene plays out in Wanda’s dreams. Taking it as an omen, the team heads to Arkon’s world where he and the Enchantress hold the Knight prisoner. Like the Lady Liberators story last issue, something feels a little off here. While the Knight isn’t a favorite, Arkon is. Yet, his presence didn’t wow me either. The Avengers are on a mini slide, in my opinion. Grade: CCONAN THE BARBARIAN #3. Adapted from a non-Conan story, “The Grey God Passes”, Conan becomes involved in a war between two kings. The Hyperboreans held Conan as a slave and he still wears the chains. His vow to not remove them until he once again meets the Hyperborean who was “handy with the lash” puts him on the side of the Brythunian. There are the usual betrayals and treachery, but not enough to blow me away this time. Again, the sword and sorcery genre REALLY isn’t my thing, but I’m reading this because I’ve always heard so many great things about this series. I really liked issues #1 & 2, but this one didn’t do much for me. Grade: C-Another strong month from the House of Ideas. Even the current Iron Man story is pretty good. While I was super excited to see the return of the split books (Amazing Adventures/Astonishing Tales), those books are fading fast as 1970 comes to a close. Hopefully, better days are ahead. Anyway, as always, thank you for your support. Let me know what you think about this month’s opinions and/or grades. Also, as always, until next week, take care.Top Books of the Month:1) THOR #1842) SUB-MARINER #343) AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #934) FANTASTIC FOUR #1075) CAPTAIN AMERICA & THE FALCON #134 Top Covers of the Month:1) CONAN THE BARBARIAN #32) AVENGERS #843) RAWHIDE KID #844) FANTASTIC FOUR #1075) AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #93
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Post by Icctrombone on Oct 22, 2022 4:01:31 GMT -5
Let's see-
Submariner #34 -I have the 2 parter that has the Defenders prototype . Funs stuff.
Avengers # 84. I totally agree about the Black Knight, aside from his visual, I always saw him as a generic person in a suit devoid of any personality.
Daredevil was an Average book until Miller. I did like looking at the Black Widow when she co-starred.
Man, I really love the FF run from this era. Buscema and Lee craft a story where Ben gets "cured". These always end badly.
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Post by Myke Gee on Oct 22, 2022 13:27:10 GMT -5
I'm trying to step up my efforts to get the posts in this group in sync with my Facebook posts. I posted March 1977 this morning over there and it's my goal to get the latest review posted on each site the same day. Until then, I hope that you enjoy my final review for the year 1970.*ORIGINALLY POSTED ON FACEBOOK ON SEPTEMBER 14, 2019* DECEMBER 1970
(Cover Dated: February/March 1971)
Another year comes to a close. A lot of good reads this year. Here’s what I thought of the December 1970 books.
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #94. Spider-Man ended 1970 by taking on the Beetle who kidnapped Aunt May while he was robbing the grocery store where she was buying milk. Why is the Beetle knocking off a grocery store, you may ask? Well, there’s an answer to that in the story. Nothing Earth-shaking, trust me. A couple of things about this issue: 1) it starts with a reverie from Peter about how he became Spider-Man and how much it has affected his life. Sometimes, those little trips down memory lane feel like filler; something to flesh out a thin story. This one has that feel, but it was used nicely to get to.... 2) a reason for Peter to visit Aunt May. I didn’t occur to me until she started with her usual doting ways that she hasn’t been in the book much lately. Maybe that’s why I’ve been enjoying it so much. 😄 I guess Stan was getting letters about May’s annoying ways and he even had Mrs. Watson tell her, basically, “Look! Peter isn’t a frail kid. He’s a grown-ass man!!! Cut the mother hen bit! It’s annoying!!!”😂😂 Well....not exactly in those words, lol, but it was the highlight of the book, for me. Grade: B
DAREDEVIL #73. This wannabe epic story continues as both our heroes (DD, Iron Man, Nick Fury, Madame Masque) and the villains (Spymaster, Capricorn, Aquarius, Sagittarius) are transported to the Realm of the Ankh, which is what the Zodiac Key is called there. The Priests of the Ankh explain that in order to maintain balance the heroes and villains must fight. (And to think that all of this started with the Spymaster trying to destroy Stark Industries. 😏) This odd twist is why I call this story a “wannabe epic”. Entertaining enough, but, somewhat of a head-scratcher. Concluded in IRON MAN #36. Grade: B
INCREDIBLE HULK #137. The story continues from the last issue as Xeron the Star-Slayer is still in pursuit of the alien creature, Klaatu. None of that really grabbed me until the end of the last issue when the Abomination showed up. This issue, we find that he’s been serving as the first mate aboard Xeron’s spaceship, which, it turns out, actually belongs to Captain Cybor. Cybor is, literally, half man, half machine. He’s the Ahab in this Moby Dick allegory and Klaatu....well, you all get it, I’m sure. Much like the last issue, I find none of that ham-fisted allegory overly exciting. Unfortunately, we don’t get enough Hulk vs Abomination to up the excitement level either. A decent, but disappointing story. Grade: C+
CAPTAIN AMERICA & THE FALCON #135. What is with comics and apes? Robots I can understand because they’re, pretty much, synonymous with sci-fi. In this story, Cap and the Falcon come face-to-face with a gigantic intelligent ape who is actually a SHIELD research scientist, Dr. Erik Gorbo, who has a huge inferiority complex. (Interesting, that the Hulk story gave us a thinly allegorical Moby Dick tale and this one gives us Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde; although, I guess that the Hulk has been doing that for years, now). Gorbo is, simply, tired of being ignored and overlooked by the agents of SHIELD and mostly by Julia; a low-level SHIELD agent whom he has a crush on. What doesn’t work for me here is that he’s gained the ability to turn into a powerful creature that can mentally control other animals, but, he chooses to become a petty thief. I was hoping that this would be a one-n-done, but no. It continues next issue. 😏Grade: C
SUB-MARINER #35. The “Titans Three” journey to the island where a potential “doomsday” device is about to be tested. As usual, the Hulk just wants to fight, but Namor and the Surfer are able to talk him down. After meeting with the commanding officer and urging him to hold off testing the device until Atlantean scientists arrive, the headstrong commander is not smart enough to realize that Namor was extending a courtesy. When the Surfer easily disarms the soldiers, they retreat, and the Avengers are called in. Thor, Iron Man, and Goliath arrive and as the sides are discussing what the issue is, take one guess as to who has no patience for talk? Last issue gave us the foreshadowing of a new team (or non-team as they will one day be known) and in this issue we have the “pilot story” of the epic Avengers/Defenders clash. Like last issue, I truly enjoyed this. Superhero battles are so much fun! What was, also, fun was watching Namor in a different type of role. Normally, he would be just as hotheaded as the Hulk, but, I guess he had to be the voice of reason. It couldn’t be the Surfer because he would never care enough to assemble the trio. Good to see new layers being added to Namor. Great issue. Grade: A
AMAZING ADVENTURES #5. The Inhumans: Roy Thomas, Neal Adams and Tom Palmer. That creative team have given us some classic X-Men stories and will go on to give us a legendary Avengers story. So, I was truly shocked to see them working on the Inhumans. The problem with split books is that it’s kind of difficult to drum up some drama in 10 pages. The story starts with Black Bolt leaving on a mission to America. As he leaves, Gorgon and Karnak express their concerns to Medusa about why Black Bolt has the captured Maximus sealed in a sarcophagus-like machine. While in America, Black Bolt stops a burglary in progress. Back in Attilan, Gorgon and Karnak, in an ill-advised humane gesture, frees Maximus. The result affects Black Bolt halfway around the world. Very intriguing ending to this chapter and I can’t wait for the next. Grade: B+
Black Widow: A short story about a young man that Ivan saves from committing suicide. When Ivan takes the young man to meet the Widow, he tells them how he is from out of town and ended up working with a strange man called the Astrologer. When he wouldn’t do crimes any longer for the Astrologer, he fled with no money and nowhere to go. Now, the Astrologer’s goons have followed him and Ivan back to the Widow’s penthouse. The ending tried to be something of a tearjerker, but, it falls flat. Grade: C
THOR #185. This is how the Silver Surfer’s book should have been. Grand in scale. Universe-shattering threats. But, unfortunately, it wasn’t. In all fairness, THOR benefits from not having its stories confined to Earth. The star-faring aspect of the Surfer’s powers should have been lifted, restored or whatever. There were no Earthly threats that were formidable enough to make his book continuously interesting, in my opinion. Thor faces threats that, in reality, sometimes dwarf his own abilities and that’s what makes this a great book. Last issue, Odin ventured into the World Beyond to face an all-powerful foe that threatens all life in the universe. After quelling a brief uprising by Loki and his cronies, Thor follows his father into the World Beyond where he meets a four-armed bruiser called the Guardian. The Guardian isn’t the big bad of the story, but he’s who you have to get past the meet him. The name, Infinity, is revealed this issue, but we still don’t see him (or is it her? Hmmm....) Also, there is the mysterious presence of the Silent One who heralds Odin’s journey into the World Beyond. So, much is going on in this story without it feeling convoluted and it’s paced beautifully. Grade: A
IRON MAN #35. The 3rd chapter of the Iron Man vs the Spymaster story. This month, Daredevil enters the story and Madame Masque returns. The former is involved because the Espionage Elite have been captured and the D.A. (Foggy Nelson) and the A.D.A. (Murdock) a present while they’re being questioned. MM is here after reading in the news that Jasper Sitwell has been seriously injured. That news makes her realize that she truly loves him and is off to his side. If you read last week’s DAREDEVIL review, you already know that pulling the Spymaster’s strings is Capricorn of the Zodiac and the Zodiac Key(??) appears to be pulling them all. Plenty of action as Iron Man, Daredevil, Nick Fury, Madame Masque and Kevin O’Brien take on Spymaster and the Zodiac (Capricorn, Aquarius and Sagittarius). This story tries to go for “epic” with its all-star lineup and cast of “thousands”, but, it falls a little short. Fun? Yes. Epic? No. Grade: B+
FANTASTIC FOUR #108. So, last issue, we meet a man named Janus who appeared to be obsessed with going into the Negative Zone. This issue, we find out that the FF has met and fought him before....sort of. Only, that story was never published, and it is told here completely in a flashback. The flashback is supposed to serve as a key to defeating the present-day Janus who, if allowed to escape the N-Zone, could cause the destruction of mankind. FF is returning to form, for me. After the downslide leading up to issue #100, the stories have been getting better. I doubt that we’ll ever get classics like we got in the Lee/Kirby heyday, but it’s great to see that good stories can still appear in this book. Grade: B+
AVENGERS #85. My first Avengers book was #141. The first part of the classic Avengers/Squadron Supreme battle. I knew that Hyperion, Nighthawk, the Whizzer and Dr. Spectrum had appeared before, as well as, the Golden Archer and Lady Lark. But I assumed that Tom Thumb and Cap’n Hawk debuted in the mid-70s story. So, now I see that they first appeared here and, although Tom and Lark are, pretty much, the same, the Archer is called Hawkeye (in a horrible costume) and the good Cap’n is the American Eagle (also in a horrible costume). I thought that the guy in MTIO Annual was the first A.E. *Sigh* Anyway, I am so glad that I started this journey. So, after leaving Arkon’s world, Thor uses his hammer to transport the team back to theirs, plus return them to where they were before Arkon attacked. Vision, Wanda, Goliath and Pietro are, somehow, transported to a couple of weeks into the future where they see people dying from the sun. On top of that, they are all as intangible as the Vision. When Wanda uses her hex powers, they’re all, presumably, transported back to their own time, but instead, they’re on the world of the Squadron Supreme. However, they’ve only met the Squadron SINISTER. So, you know where it goes from here. First, I had no idea that this was the Supreme’s debut issue. Keep in mind, the cover says “Sinister”. What a pleasant surprise because I’m a huge fan. Second, for whatever reason, I was ready to be disappointed with this issue. I have no idea why, but I was. Yet, it turns out to be the first part of what looks like a pretty good story. Grade: A-
CREATURES ON THE LOOSE #10. Two anthology horror books changed names this year. After 9 issues, both CHAMBER OF DARKNESS and TOWER OF SHADOWS became MONSTERS ON THE PROWL and CREATURES ON THE LOOSE, respectively with issues #10. While MONSTERS changed its name, it continued to reprint 50s horror and sci-fi stories. In the beginning, CREATURES did so, as well, but eventually presented new, original material. This month, CREATURES gave us the debut of King Kull. Never quite as popular as Conan, if I recall correctly, I was still curious, so, I gave it a shot. It was a short 7 page story about Kull and his group stopping to stay at a strange castle overnight. He was warned by one of his slaves that an ancient evil lies within the castle, but Kull, basically, dismisses it as an old wives’ tale to frighten children. Unfortunately for Kull, he had to find out the hard way that some old tales are actually facts. After 3 issues of CONAN, I’m hanging in there, but, again, the whole sword and sorcery genre just isn’t my thing. Next issue of CREATURES is more reprints, and won’t be reviewed again until issue #16, but this short story was okay. The absolute BEST part of it was the artwork by the late, great Bernie Wrightson. Grade: C
1970 is done and it’s been another incredible experience and another year is done for me! MORE great stories and moments this year. Last year, we said goodbye to some favorites, but, this year, new books stepped in to take their place with mixed results. We got the return of the split books with AMAZING ADVENTURES VOL 2 and ASTONISHING TALES. While they were hit and miss, they weren’t without some good moments. Also, if anyone is wondering why I didn’t review any of the Annuals this year, it’s because, just like last year, all of them were reprints. As for this month, 3 A’s, 5 B’s and 4 C’s make for decent, if not spectacular month, overall, but Sub-Mariner and Thor were so good, I didn’t even care, lol!!! So, once again, I’m gonna take a short break from this. A couple of weeks, maybe. Reviews will resume on October 12th. Until then, take care, everyone.
Top Books of the Month:
1) THOR #185
2) SUB-MARINER #35
3) AVENGERS #85
4) FANTASTIC FOUR #108
5) IRON MAN #35
Another month of underwhelming covers, but, since I gotta pick ‘em...
Top Covers of the Month:
1) SUB-MARINER #35
2) INCREDIBLE HULK #137
3) CREATURES ON THE LOOSE #10
4) RINGO KID #8
5) NICK FURY, AGENT OF SHIELD #18
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Post by Farrar on Oct 22, 2022 15:27:51 GMT -5
Myke Gee , I'd previously mentioned the 2 different cover dates per month back on page 4 -- so I was glad to see that you recently went back and corrected the cover dates on all your entries. Nice work!  Re: FF #108, I found the mix of the Kirby and Buscema (and a bit of Romita) art to be disjointed and off-putting, despite Joe Sinnott's usual great job of providing a cohesive look. This was a sloppy mishmash of an issue, IMO, but I guess Stan didn't want to the Kirby pages to go to waste. Marvel published the rest of the Kirby art for this issue in 2008's Fantastic Four: The Lost Adventure. Btw, Avengers #85 with its JLA analogues was another unofficial "crossover" (à la 1969's Avengers #70/Justice League of America #75) with that same month's DC's Justice League of America #87, which featured the following characters  shown below This "crossover" was planned by Roy Thomas (Avengers) and Mike Friedrich (JLA). from Justice League of America #87  .
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Post by Myke Gee on Oct 24, 2022 20:01:44 GMT -5
Continuing my efforts to get this group in sync with my Facebook posts. Let me elaborate a little on this review's opening paragraph. As I mentioned, when I first started doing this, I would read the books according to the cover date. I ran into some problems during the IRON MAN/DAREDEVIL crossover, so at the behest of a group member, I abandoned that method of reading. So, every review since the October 1968 review has been revised for this group. Just wanted to clear that up in case anyone was wondering (which I doubt, LOL!!!). Anyway, I hope that you all enjoy this review. *** ORIGINALLY POSTED ON FACEBOOK ON OCTOBER 7, 2019 ***
JANUARY 1971 (Cover Date: March/April 1971)
Hello everyone! After another brief hiatus, I’m back to share my thoughts on the books of 1971. With the 1970 reviews, I ran into something of a scheduling problem with the Iron Man/Daredevil crossover because I posted those books according to the cover dates. Thanks to Rich Drees. I see now why that was a bad idea. So, from here on, the books will be posted in the order that they went on sale. As a result, the MARVEL TALES issue that features the conclusion to the Angel story will be included despite being released in December of 1970. Also, the Daredevil, Avengers, and Thor reviews from December 1970 will be reprinted. So, here we go!! Here are my thoughts on the books that were released in January 1971.
MARVEL TALES #30. The Angel story concludes here in MARVEL TALES. At the end of KA-ZAR QUARTERLY #3, the Angel was forced to unmask by Dazzler. He’s shocked to find out that the Angel is Warren Worthington III and Warren is even more shocked to find out that the Dazzler is his uncle Burt. He tries to fight his way through his uncle’s goons but is overwhelmed by numbers. The Dazzler, then, tries to use a mind control machine on the Angel, but it doesn’t work on homo superior minds. However, Warren plays along and uses that the defeat the Dazzler and avenge his father. Again, nothing spectacular about this story, but, it certainly didn’t suck. Grade: C
On Sale the 1st week of January 1971 IRON MAN #36. 1971 opens with the first scene cleaning up the big Iron Man/Daredevil crossover. In case you couldn’t guess, the good guys won....sort of. Spymaster gets away. So, after an awkward conversation with Madame Masque, Stark decides that he’s had enough of playing Iron Man and wants to be “Millionaire Playboy Man” for a while. Enter the Ramrod to cut short Iron Man’s hiatus. Now, when I saw Ramrod on the cover, I nearly gave myself a migraine from rolling my eyes, but, the character was a little more interesting than I thought he would be. First thought: *sigh* Another RBR (Really Big Robot). However, I’m not quite sure that he is a robot. What he certainly appears to be is a....being that was planted here by what apparently are extraterrestrial beings called the Changers. Goofy looking, he may be, he’s pretty powerful and gives Iron Man all he can handle. I’m really curious to see where this goes. Grade: B-
DAREDEVIL #74. After a pretty good short run of stories in this book lately, Gerry Conway ends the year with a rather bland story about a group of average street criminals coming up with a plot to steal as much money and merchandise as they can after they poison the reservoir with a chemical that causes temporary blindness in everyone that drinks it. Maybe after the big crossover story with Iron Man, Conway was tired or something. The year definitely did not start with a bang for this book. Grade: C-
THOR #186. This grandiose tale continues as Thor and Odin, on separate fronts, face impossible odds in the World Beyond. Odin faces off against Infinity him/herself. I phrase it that way because I remember a character called Infinity from several years later and the form it took was decidedly feminine. Just wondering if this is supposed to be the same character because Odin speaks as if his foe is male. Anyway, at the end of the last issue, Thor was without his hammer for more than 60 seconds and he reverted back into Don Blake and the four-armed bruiser called the Guardian was closing in. Without giving anything away, let’s just say that, if Thor is a serious badass, he’s got nothing on his father, lol!!! Odin is a beast!!! Man, this story has it all. Abstract deities, relentless guardians, mysterious characters (the Silent One), Earthly repercussions and, oh yeah, Hela shows up! Continues next issue and, if I was buying these off the spinner rack, I’d be rabid, lol!!! Grade: A+
SUB-MARINER #36. It’s Namor’s wedding day and there’s a whole lot going on. Namor seeks out and finds Proteus to officiate the ceremony. Triton speaks to the United Nations on Namor’s behalf and brings them an offering of peace. Diane Arliss learns that this is the day Namor is to wed Dorma; thus, losing him forever. Attuma chooses this day to attack Atlantis with powerful new weaponry only to be beaten back by Namor. And then, there’s Lyra!!! She’s becoming a favorite of mine. For those that don’t know what she pulled off at the end, I won’t spoil it, but, she is truly more formidable than I thought. Excellent issue! My only problem was the artwork. On any other day, I read the name Sal Buscema, I’m smiling. On any other day, I read the name Bernie Wrightson, I’m ecstatic!!! However, they are not two great tastes that taste great together. While the art was far from horrible, something about it didn’t work for me. Grade: A-
On sale the 2nd week of January 1971 AVENGERS #86. So, I’ve just finished the debut of the Squadron Supreme! Pretty good. I’ve been a fan of theirs since I first read AVENGERS #141. So, last issue, the four wayward Avengers (Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, Vision, and Goliath) met Nighthawk, American Eagle, Hawkeye, and Lady Lark. After convincing Nighthawk that the rocket that the other Squadron members were about to launch into space poses a grave threat to their world, he agrees to go with the Avengers to try to convince his teammates to cancel the launch. Of course, the team gets into a brief scuffle with the remaining Squadron members, Hyperion, Dr. Spectrum, and the Whizzer. Fortunately, it was brief because the real threat was Brainchild; a 10-year-old genius who had had enough of humanity mocking his appearance. So, instead of the superhero teams battling over a misunderstanding trope, we get the teams split up and partners with members of the opposite team trope, lol, and I was fine with that. One thing that I like as much as a superhero fight is a superhero team-up of unlikely characters. Was this a classic Avengers story? No, but it was an enjoyable one. Grade: B+
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #95. This story had me worried for one reason. Last issue, Gwen went to London to stay with her uncle and Peter didn’t get to see her before she left. Now, after walking around all glum and gloomy, he gets an assignment from Robbie to go to London. Now, one of the hardest suspensions of disbelief with the whole superhero genre is that the people closest to their civilian lives never connect the dots. “Why is that (insert name here) is never around when (insert hero here) is here?” or something to that effect. Fortunately, after gaining publicity for stopping a group of terrorists that kidnapped a U.S. delegate and his son, Peter realizes that he can’t go after Gwen now. She’d put two and two together. However.... there is the issue of Joe Robertson. Anyway, fun little issue. Grade B+
INCREDIBLE HULK #138. The Hulk is back on Earth after escaping Cybor and Xeron the Star-Slayer. As always, once he turns back into Banner, his thoughts are of Betty Ross. He finds Jim Wilson and has him show him where Betty is. Unfortunately, she’s in a hospital that now has the Sandman as a “patient”. The Sandman makes Dr. Marquand, a doctor who has pioneered some new type of blood transfusion, perform the procedure on him Betty to counteract the side effects of his last battle with the Hulk and the FF. Banner is witness to this and, for once, welcomes his transformation into the Hulk. The Hulk and the Sandman, usually, make for a pretty good scrap and they don’t disappoint here. A solid tale after the disappointing last two issues. Grade: B-
CAPTAIN AMERICA AND THE FALCON #136. Amazingly enough, the story that didn’t make much of an impression on me last issue did so this issue. Even more amazing is that the Mole Man shows up (how did I not see that coming?) and my boredom sense wasn’t tingling. The long and short of the story is, Cap and Dr. Gorbo, in his giant gorilla form, fell through what seemed like a bottomless pit. While everyone on the surface assumes that they both perished, the Mole Man, in fact, saves their lives. In the meantime, not everyone believes them dead as the Falcon gets a jet pack from Tony Stark to search for Cap. Concurrently, Cap is trying to prevent a war between the subterranean world and the surface world. A fast-paced issue that kept me into it from beginning to end. Next week: Spider-Man!!! Grade: B
On sale the 3rd week of January 1971 ASTONISHING TALES #5. Dr. Doom: Doom returns to Latveria to find that it has been taken over by the Red Skull and his Exiles. Flying into an unexpected ambush, Doom easily overcomes the Skull’s guards. It is the use of Doom’s own weapons that allows the Skull to capture Doom. However, the Skull is unaware of the many weapons in Doom’s armor that allows him to escape. Naturally, Doom’s vengeance is swift, but the ending seems a bit out of character for Doom. Grade: C+
Ka-Zar: The battle between Ka-Zar and Zaladane ends this issue and, as I said about the last issue, this story feels like it should be bigger than it was. In the heat of battle, Zaladane is saved by Ka-Zar and, of course, she relays him by betraying him. But, karma has a sense of humor, too, as her god, Garokk, who has now driven mad by his own power, betrays her. Fantastic artwork by Barry Smith isn’t enough to make that more than just a passable story. Grade: C
FANTASTIC FOUR #109. Honestly, I was never a huge fan of the FF when I was growing up. As I am wont to say, I liked them, but I didn’t love them. Yet, occasionally, I would pick up an issue here and there if the cover grabbed me. I don’t remember which issue it was, but I bought an issue that had Annihilus on the cover. I thought that he looked really cool, powerful, and scary at the same time, lol!!! So, I’m always excited when he shows up. This issue, he fights, then, teams up with Janus the Nega-Man as Janus’ quest for ultimate power continues. After Annihilus tells Janus how to get to the Nega-Power Area, Reed follows him while Ben and Johnny stay behind to fight Annihilus. The story picks up a little bit this issue. Yes, I think we’re past the hiccup of issue #s 96-100 as this feels more like an FF adventure. Grade: A-
SAVAGE TALES #1. My first foray into the black & white magazine genre! I guess I’ll have to approach this like I do the split books. Each story will receive a grade. *Sigh* As if these reviews weren’t long enough! So, without further ado...
Conan: Conan battles alongside the Aesir, then, collapses from his wounds. He, then, sees a very scantily clad woman walking in the snow. She lustfully teases him until he takes off running after her. Knowing that it’s a trap, Conan easily defeats two frost giants. Afterward, the woman prays and disappears into the night. Of course, there’s more, but, I won’t spoil it. Great little short that is beautifully drawn by Barry Smith. Grade: B+
The Fury of the Femizons: A story set in the 23rd century where women are the dominant species and men are slaves. When Princess Lyra wins a death duel, she is awarded a slave. Only, this slave is part of a resistance and was purposely placed in the charge of the Princess to access the Brain Tapes; recordings of a time when men ruled and were not weak and timid. After learning of how things were before, Lyra falls in love with the slave, but in the presence of other Femizons, they portray the master/slave relationship. However, the Queen’s adviser is highly suspicious of the Princess. A very entertaining story that I would love to see more of. From what I’ve read, these Femizons are the same ones that Thundra comes from. Grade: B+
Man-Thing: First appearance of the swamp beast!!! Ted Sallis is a scientist working on recreating the Super-Soldier Serum. He and his lover, Ellen Brandt, are in a lab in the Florida Everglades when he has a breakthrough. Once he confirms his success, Ellen betrays him by calling her goons to take the formula and to take out Sallies. Sallis manages to escape and injects himself with the formula; transforming himself into the Man-Thing. A somewhat “standard” origin story about revenge with stunning artwork by Gray Morrow. Grade: B-
Black Brother: I’m not quite sure what the point of this story was. Rather, was this supposed to be a “pilot episode” of sorts for some future ongoing book or feature, or was it just a one-off short story? At any rate, it’s the story of an African governor named Joshua in the fictitious province of Potonga. He’s, essentially, a good person who’s fighting against an Apartheid-like government. It is the government and his wife that set him up and made him an outcast with his own people. It’s an interesting enough story. One that would run as a feature in books like AMAZING ADVENTURES or ASTONISHING TALES, but not as its own book. Too bad that they never returned to it. Grade: C+/B- (another time I wish there was a grade in between)
Ka-Zar: As I read this story, it hit me: all but one story in this magazine featured a man being betrayed by a woman. In this story, a couple, Ralph and Carla, come to the Savage Land to steal vibranium. The husband invested all his money in building a swamp tank which makes the swamp men of the Savage Land worship him as the Machine God. Secretly, his wife is plotting to steal the vibranium for herself and she replaces the bullets in Ralph’s gun with blanks in hopes that he will be killed. After a failed attempt to seduce Ka-Zar, she drugs him with the ol’ “pin in the ring” trick. When he awakens, he finds that the two have found the vibranium, but it doesn’t go quite the way they expected. Not a bad tale, but, honestly, the appeal of Ka-Zar always escaped me. He’s another one that I like as a guest star, but, struggles to keep my interest as a headliner. Mainly because he’s written so inconsistently. One minute he’s “Ka-Zar mightier than mastodon!!!”, the next he’s saying things like “The ties that bind us must not be burned as so much dross” (See MARVEL SUPER-HEROES#19 if you think I’m kidding, lol!!). This issue, we get a little bit of both, lol!! Grade: C+
On sale the 4th week of January 1971 CONAN THE BARBARIAN #4. The splash page says that this story was “Nominated for Best Story! 1972, by the Academy of Comic-Books Arts” Yet, the cover date of this issue is April 1971!!! Uuhhh.....okay. Maybe the issue I was reading is a reprint as there is no indicia at the bottom of the splash page for me to tell. Anyway, after overhearing a rogue speak of a fabled jewel called the Heart of the Elephant, Conan decides to steal it from a so-called impenetrable fortress called the Tower of the Elephant. En route to the tower, he sees its guardian, a sorcerer named Yara. He also meets another would-be thief named Taurus. Upon entering the tower, Taurus is killed by a giant spider that is guarding a treasure. Conan kills it a learns the secret of the tower and of the Heart of the Elephant. There were parts of this story that I found really interesting, but, as always with sword and sorcery tales, I found myself getting bored, at times. I must note, however, that Barry Smith is REALLY coming into his own. His artwork gets better with each issue. Grade: C+
Not a bad way to start off a new year. Not a lot of A’s, but a good number of B’s. Unfortunately, there’s always DAREDEVIL to bring the grade point average down. Still, even his issue didn’t flat-out suck, lol!!! As always, thanks for the support. Let me know what you liked and, more importantly, what you didn’t. Until next week, take care.
Top Books of the Month:
1) THOR #186
2) SUB-MARINER #36
3) FANTASTIC FOUR #109
4) AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #95
5) AVENGERS #86
Top covers of the Month:
1) SAVAGE TALES #1
2) X-MEN #69
3) FANTASTIC FOUR #109
4) AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #95
5) AVENGERS #86 
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Post by Myke Gee on Nov 1, 2022 18:45:45 GMT -5
More from my 1971 reviews.*** ORIGINALLY POSTED ON FACEBOOK ON OCTOBER 19, 2019 *** FEBRUARY 1971
(Cover Date: April/May 1971)
February 1971. I’m 5 years old and a couple of months away from 6. I believe that it was around this time that I started getting into superheroes via cartoons. I don’t think that I’ve seen a comic book yet. At least, I don’t remember. I know that I was 7 when I got my first comic (TEEN TITANS #41, October 1972 cover date). None of this has anything to do with this month’s book, lol, but I just wanted to share. Now, here’s what I thought about the books for February 1971.
On sale the 1st week of February 1971 DAREDEVIL #75. *Sigh* This one was so boring, it BARELY held my attention. I had about 4 pages left and I just couldn’t do it. Yet, another lame villain. This one’s called El Condor. Matt and Foggy are supposed to come somewhere south of the border on a fact-finding mission and end up involved in a revolution. I just skimmed ahead and I see that it’s continued next issue. I’ll probably read those last 4 pages before I read the next issue. One can only hope that it ends better than it began. Grade: F
THOR #187. Continuing the adventure in the World Beyond, Thor must now fight Odin, who is under the control of Infinity. Knowing that his father is not responsible for his actions and that he’s completely outclassed, Thor uses the art of “fighting without fighting”. In other words, he runs, lol! But, Odin is relentless, so, Thor must find ways to keep his father at bay without taking up arms against him. Meanwhile, on Earth, the repercussions of the battle in the World Beyond continues to be felt. Of course, the Americans think it’s the Soviets and vice versa. Also, there is the peril of the Odin Sword. Legend has it that, should the gigantic sword ever be completely unsheathed, the world will end. This prompts Balder and Sif to seek the help of Karnilla, but, of course, her help will come with a price. As usual with this book, the story is grand in scale and the action and pacing are top-notch. Outside of AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, this may be the most consistently well-written book from Marvel in this era; even more than FF. (Just my opinion, guys. Put down the pitchforks and torches 😂) Grade: A
IRON MAN #37. The Ramrod story continues as the alien robot awaits his brethren after defeating Iron Man last issue. Meanwhile, a badly injured Tony Stark has changed out of his armor and is desperately trying to reach Avengers Mansion. As fate would have it, he stumbles across Kevin O’Brien who takes him to the Mansion. Once there, he reveals that he’s Iron Man and has Kevin help him into an older armor with a heart regulator. Concurrently, Ramrod’s fellow aliens, led by a human called the Foreman, head to Earth to terraform the planet. This is, yet, another follow-up that’s not as good as the previous part. While not a horrible tale, it is a rather typical and, somewhat, bland alien invasion story. Grade C+
SUB-MARINER #37. Another landmark issue that I knew that I was close to, but, didn’t realize that this was it. As always, for the 9 other people, besides myself, that never read it, I won’t spoil it. Let’s just say that a major turning point in Namor’s life happens as he deals with the repercussions of Llyra switching places with the Lady Dorma on their wedding day. This is only the 3rd story that I’ve read with Llyra (Atlantis Attacks and her 1st appearance in SM #32) and I must say, she may have become my favorite Namor villain. Grade: A-
On sale the 2nd week of February 1971 AVENGERS #87. This issue gives us the origin of the Black Panther. One that differs just slightly from the one that was told in FF #53 and one that elaborates further on that story. Honestly, my boredom sense, sometimes, goes off when I see an origin story coming; especially one that I believed had already been told. Yet, I found the extra details pretty interesting and I truly enjoyed this story. Grade: B+
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #96. In almost every documentary about comic books, this issue is mentioned. Famous for delving into the topic of drugs and for publishing the controversial story without the Comics Code Authority stamp. As I started reading this story, I had no idea that this was the book. The drug user scene was just two pages. The rest of the story was about Pete feeling good about himself now that he’s returned from London. He’s taken a job at Norman Osborne’s company which will earn him more money. He saved the life of the drug addict and earned some respect from the NYPD. He even bumps into Aunt May who’s going to a show and having fun. So, when Mary Jane makes her off-Broadway debut, Peter, Harry, and his father are in the audience to cheer, but something has Norman, suddenly, spooked. Of course, you all know that the Green Goblin is about to return. I say this repeatedly, but I love the pacing of Lee’s Spider-Man stories. I fly through these without ever being bored. Really good stuff, still! Grade: A
INCREDIBLE HULK #139. Okay, by page 2, we have the Leader 💤 engaged in a monologue about his “unrivaled intellect” and, by the end of it, his “unrivaled intellect” comes up with the “genius” plan to send all of the Hulk’s past foes against him at one time in hopes that he’ll.....have a heart attack?!?!?? 😐😑🙄😏😀😂🤣 The Leader JUST got interesting to me, lol!!! The cover of this issue is a bit misleading. While you see the Rhino, the Abomination, the Glob, the Mandarin, and one other that I can’t identify on the cover, none of them actually appear in the book. They are the mental manifestations of the Leader made solid by a machine provided by Gen. Ross and Maj. Talbot called the Brain Wave Booster. The Hulk actually believes he’s fighting those characters and more. Of course, the Leader is planning a double-cross, but, it’s Jim Wilson who throws a monkey wrench into his plans. Despite the hokey premise, a very solid and enjoyable story. Grade B+
CAPTAIN AMERICA & THE FALCON #137. Cap and the Falcon are returning to the surface after their fight against the Mole Man and Dr. Gorbo. Sharon Carter is so excited, she faints and is taken to a medical tent. When Cap doesn’t see her among the other SHIELD agents on site, he goes into a funk thinking that she doesn’t care. He, in turn, inadvertently takes it out on the Falcon who’s in a mood himself. Feeling a bit inferior, the Falcon sets out to prove that he can do the superhero thing on his own. Enter Spider-Man, who just happens to be swinging by. The Falcon figures that, if he can apprehend Spidey, then, Cap would have to take him seriously. Unfortunately for the Falcon, he doesn’t know what he’s in for. I love my superhero battles, but when I realized that the Falcon was going to try this alone, I suddenly thought about the Daredevil vs Thor and DD vs Namor fights. Sometimes, a hero has to know when he/she is outclassed. Falcon shows a lot of guts here, but it wasn’t even close. Still, a fun story that’s continued next issue. Grade: B
On sale the 3rd week of February 1971 AMAZING ADVENTURES #6. Inhumans: Last issue was pretty good as Black Bolt leaves on a mysterious mission in America. While away, in a sympathetic moment, Karnak and Gorgon free Maximus a coffin-like cage that BB sealed him in. Once free, they both discover that the cage suppressed his new mental powers. Powers that stripped BB of his memories halfway around the world. Prior to that, he stopped a burglary and saves a young boy. Now, he wanders San Francisco in a state of amnesia. He wanders down by the docks and he speaks one syllable, “I....”, and devastation happens. I’m finding this story very interesting and, once again, I can’t wait for the next part. Grade: B+
Black Widow: The Astrologer story continues as the Widow tries to help the police identify the two young men that died at the end of last issue. Meanwhile, the Astrologer kidnaps a research scientist who is developing a possible substitute for blood and the Widow intervenes. I liked part 2 better than the first, but the story is still so-so. Grade: C+
FANTASTIC FOUR #110. Hot damn!!! The FF is returning to form!!! After a rapid decline in quality during Kirby’s last days, the book is getting good again. And guess who’s still doing the writing? Oh wait! Stan didn’t write it. It was John Buscema!!! 🙄 Anyway, last issue, the FF’s mission in the Negative Zone was a success. Janus the Nega-Man was defeated and Annihilus never made it to Earth. However, getting Ben and Johnny back to Earth meant that Reed had to sacrifice himself. Fortunately, for him, the team knows Agatha Harkness!! Great stuff here as all of the elements of this series that made it really good is coming back. Great pacing of the stories, villains worthy of the team, the incredible locales. That stuff seemed to get lost for a sec as a legend was departing. Glad to see the book bounce back. Now, next month, the Thing needs an attitude adjustment. Grade: A
On sale the 4th week of February 1971 CONAN THE BARBARIAN #5. Conan is traveling through a village on his way to the city of Shadizar when the sorcerer, Zukala, sends his shapeshifting daughter, Zephura, to collect the gold that was owed to him as tribute; basically, a protection racket. In the form of a tiger, Zephura terrorizes the villagers until Conan intervenes. She attacks him, but decides not to kill him. She, then, leaves to return to her father. After the villagers explain how all this came to be, Conan decides to fight on their behalf...for a price. Really good battle between the barbarian and the sorcerer with Zephura torn between the two. So far, only issue #4 has disappointed me as I truly enjoyed this. Grade: B+
Some really good stuff this month. I’m still amazed at how much I’m enjoying THOR. I was never really a fan outside of the Avengers. Again, his series is what the Silver Surfer’s series should have been. Aside from the Black Widow half of AMAZING ADVENTURES, IRON MAN and *ssiiiggghh* DAREDEVIL, I have no complaints for this month. So, as always, thanks for the support. Let me know what you liked and, more importantly, what you didn’t like. Until next week, take care.
Top Books of the Month:
1. THOR #187
2. FANTASTIC FOUR #110
3. AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #96
4. SUB-MARINER #37
5. CONAN THE BARBARIAN #5
Top Covers of the Month:
1. CAPTAIN AMERICA & THE FALCON #137
2. DAREDEVIL #75
3. RAWHIDE KID #87
4. WHERE MONSTERS DWELL #9
5. FANTASTIC FOUR #110
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Post by Myke Gee on Nov 1, 2022 19:29:08 GMT -5
*** ORIGINALLY POSTED ON FACEBOOK ON 0CTOBER 21, 2019 *** March 1971 (Cover Date: May/June 1971)
Good morning, fine members of the MCF: 61-86!!! Continuing my journey of reading these classic (and not-so-classic) Marvel comics for the very first time. Here are my thoughts on the books on sale in March 1971!!
On sale the 1st week of March 1971 DAREDEVIL #76. Last month’s issue was so boring that I couldn’t even bring myself to read the last four pages. So, for the sake of completing the story, I went back and read those pages which did nothing to change the final grade. This month, we have a boring ending to a boring beginning of an, overall, boring story. The story: DD helps defeat El Condor who believes that he is fighting to “free” the “oppressed” people of Delvadia, Mexico. *YYYAAAAWWWNNN* I never thought that I’d hand out two “F’s” in a row, but.....Grade: F
THOR #188. This one has me a little confused. Throughout the last 4 or 5 issues, we’ve heard the name Infinity. As I mentioned before, my memory of Infinity is an abstract being that takes on a decidedly feminine form. Yet, in this issue, we learn the origin and identity of Infinity and it flies completely in the face of what I’ve read before. Yet, the websites all agree that this storyline is Infinity’s first appearance. *Sigh* Okay, if you say so. At any rate, that takes away nothing from the story. Great ending(?) to a great story. Now, the ending sets up the next story. So, I’m hoping that it’s as epic as this one was. Grade A-
IRON MAN #38. A very enjoyable story about an ex-con, Frank Majors, that was suggested to Tony Stark for employment at Stark Industries. Stark takes a chance and gives him one month to prove himself. Unfortunately, people from Frank’s past, particularly a mob boss named Anthony Gardenia, will not let Frank create a new life for himself. This one feels like an inventory story, but a pretty good one. Grade: B-
SUB-MARINER #38. It’s reverie time again as Namor mourns the death of Lady Dorma. Once again the tale is told of how Princess Fen came to the surface world, fell in love and married Leonard McKenzie, and gave birth to Namor. While I, sometimes, find these trips down memory lane a bit tedious, I did enjoy reading about his first time in America. New York is a rough introduction, lol!!! All of this, basically, frames Dorma’s funeral and is a preamble to his abdication. Enjoyable, but not overly so. Grade: B-
On sale the 2nd week of March 1971 AVENGERS #88. A, somewhat, convoluted story that takes Captain America and the Falcon to New Orleans to fight a voodoo cult. The result of this is the duo heading to Avengers Mansion and enlisting the aid of Thor, Iron Man, and Goliath to accompany them to an island in the South Pacific that just happens to be where an insect-like being called Psyklop has kidnapped the Hulk from the US military. The goal is for Psyklop to steal the Hulk’s power to resurrect the “Dark Gods” and his people. How this tied into Cap and the Falcon’s voodoo cult, I have no idea. Continued in INCREDIBLE HULK #140. Mediocre story, but far from bad. Next month should be much better as the opening stanza of the Kree/Skrull War begins. Grade: C+
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #97. Confession time again: I’ve never been a fan of solo Spider-Man stories. The first Spider-Man comic I ever owned was MARVEL TEAM-UP. For years, that was my go-to magazine to get my Spider-Man fix. See, I was always a fan of teams and team-ups. I loved when heroes got together to fight the bad guys. What I didn’t know (...or realize, actually) was that their own solo books are where you really saw what they could do. So, I was an intermittent reader of ASM and, later, PPTSS, at best. Unfortunate, for me, because I missed out on some of the best Spider-Man stories EVER in this book! The Green Goblin is back and, like Doc Ock, I always found the Goblin corny. However, I’ve grown to see the true menace of both characters since I’ve been reading this series. Fantastic characters! Now, the goblin's back and remembers that Pete is Spider-Man. Round one of their renewed rivalry is depicted beautifully this issue. Plus, Harry and Pete are having issues over Mary Jane and Harry is just having issues. Another fabulous Spidey tale. Grade: A
INCREDIBLE HULK #140. Continued from AVENGERS #88, the Hulk is shrunk down to microscopic size and discovers a world of green people like himself who treat him like a hero. He meets princess Jarella who has one of her wizards cast a spell so that the Hulk can learn their language. An unexpected side effect of the spell is that the Hulk, now, has Banner’s mind. Happy with his life there, Banner is resolved to stay there and marry the princess, but, Jarella’s brother has his own desire to sit on the throne. Also, we haven’t seen the last of Psyklop. I’ve always wanted to read these stories as I’ve heard so much about Jarella. While I liked the story, I was expecting a bit more. Grade: B-
CAPTAIN AMERICA AND THE FALCON #138. Still a little ticked off and feeling inferior, the Falcon is attacked by Stone-Face and his henchmen and they managed to subdue him by grazing him with a car. Stone-Face ties him up and takes him hostage, hoping to use him as leverage against Captain America. Meanwhile, Redwing gets away, finds Cap and does his Lassie impression. 😀 What Stone-Face doesn’t realize is that the Falcon still has one of Spider-Man’s tracers attached to his belt. Also, Stoney is trying to shake down an aide to the governor who wants to build a skyscraper in Harlem. While this is happening, Spider-Man shows up to rescue the Falcon, but, the Falcon starts another fight and, then, Cap shows up. Misunderstandings are cleared up and the three team up. Fun story. Grade: B
On sale the 3rd week of March 1971 ASTONISHING TALES #6. Dr. Doom: Doom has his sights set on acquiring some vibranium. He tortures an unknown man to learn the location of where the mineral is mined. When he learns that it can be obtained in Wakanda, guess where Doom is headed? Of course, Doom in Wakanda means that he must contend with the Black Panther. A fairly simple story written by Larry Leiber. Grade: C+
Ka-Zar: First, let me start by saying that the artwork by Barry Smith and Bill Everette is absolutely gorgeous. Smith has come a very long way in such a short time. As for the story, Ka-Zar, Zabu and Tongah face a god gone mad. Tongah tells of the ancient legend of Damon and Lelania who are, possibly, aliens who walk the Earth 5,000 years ago. When she was killed by a dinosaur, Damon made it rain for 40 days. 🙄 (more allegory, I see) After the “cleansing”, Damon, apparently, slept. Now, he’s awakened and he’s angry. Interesting story, but nowhere near as good as the artwork. Grade: C+
FANTASTIC FOUR #111. The Thing’s personality change resulting from Reed’s latest “cure” has reached critical. He’s now arrogant as Hell and mad at the world. He storms off and is terrorizing New York City. The Torch goes after him and has a couple of battles only to have Ben escape each time. Reed, now, has another “bright idea” which involves Bruce Banner. You all can see where this is leading, right? What I find really interesting about the Reed/Ben relationship is how many times Reed has traumatized Ben with his Fool’s Gold cures. Here, he admits that he knew that there would be side effects, but, he didn’t say anything. I’m surprised that the Thing didn’t leave years ago. A great story sure to get better with the Thing vs the Hulk: Round 4(?)!! Grade: B+
KULL THE CONQUEROR #1. The first thing that caught my eye about issue #1 was the art time of Ross Andru and Wally Wood. The sword and sorcery books have some great artwork!! The story begins with Kull arriving on horseback in Valusia. He’s a part of the celebration of his “ascent” to King. Not all a happy about his coronation and he knows it. His mind flashes back to his days as a young adult to his days as a captive of the Lemurians to the events that led to him becoming king. I had a couple of moments with this issue where I found myself smiling. Kull is so brazenly fearless!! I love it!!! Like Conan’s first issue, I found myself liking this issue FAR more than I thought I would. Grade: A
On sale the 4th week of March 1971 CONAN THE BARBARIAN #6. Conan finds himself in the city of Shadizar. There, he finds two men arguing over stolen gold, which he decides to take for himself. Later, he meets Jenna who has plans for the stolen gold, herself, until she is kidnapped and taken by the followers of the Night God who plan to use her as a human sacrifice. It’s no spoiler to tell you that the “Night God” is just a giant bat (it’s on the cover 😏). Anyway, Conan interrupts the ceremony and finds himself battling the giant bat and its high priestess, Hajii. These early stories seem to be up and down; this is a, somewhat, “down” story. Not a bad story, at all, but a little on the mediocre side. Grade: C+
Overall, this was a very good month. The stories, for the most part, graded well. DAREDEVIL seems to be the only hit-or-miss book from month to month. IRON MAN, as well, I guess. Even CAPTAIN AMERICA seems to be getting much better. This is encouraging because some in this room would have you believe that, once Stan and Jack left, Marvel died. While I know that that’s not true, it’s good to see that the books that just predate my era of comics hold up quite nicely despite the curmudgeons’ opinions, lol!!! So, thank you for the support, as always. Also, as always, let me know what you liked and, more importantly, what you didn’t like. Next week and maybe a couple of weeks afterward, there will probably be no posts from me. One week from now, around this time, I’ll be undergoing surgery and I’ll be taking a couple of weeks off to recover. At least, that’s the plan, lol!!! Until then, take care, everyone!!!
Top Books of the Month:
1. AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 97
2. KULL THE CONQUEROR #1
3. THOR #188
4. FANTASTIC FOUR #111
5. CAPTAIN AMERICA & THE FALCON #138
Top Covers of the Month:
1. CAPTAIN AMERICA & THE FALCON #138
2. CONAN THE BARBARIAN #6
3. SUB-MARINER #38
4. SGT. FURY #88
5. THOR #188 |
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Post by Myke Gee on Nov 5, 2022 10:52:45 GMT -5
***ORIGINALLY POSTED ON FACEBOOK ON NOVEMBER 2, 2019*** APRIL 1971
(Cover Date: June/July 1971)
Hey, everyone. Continuing my journey through the Marvel Universe and here are my thoughts on the books on sale in the month of April 1971
On sale the 1st week of April 1971. AVENGERS #89. In 1983, I read the Kree-Skrull War Special Edition; a reprint of the Avengers story when reprinting Neal Adams stories was all the rage. While I LOVED it at 18 years old, I haven’t read that story again since. The reprint did not include the Buscema stories that set the stage for this epic tale. Reading this issue for the first time, I’m suddenly 18 years old again and reading that classic tale, but with a bit more insight since this issue was just summarized. Honestly, it’s always a good time when Mar-Vell and/or Annihilus show up. Grade: A-
THOR #189. Something of an epilogue to the “Infinity” storyline, this story covers Hela’s wrath against Thor for his role in interfering with her plans for Infinity in the last few issues. Knowing that Hela plans to kill Thor, Odin sends him to Earth to hide. For some reason, he, also, sends Volstagg to find Thor and tells him to remain in his Don Blake identity so that Hela won’t find him. Couldn’t he have told Thor that little nugget before he sent him to Earth?? Anyway, another fine Stan Lee script, but, it’s starting to feel a tad bit...stale, for lack of a better word. Maybe it’s because the Infinity story was so awesome. Grade: B-
DAREDEVIL #77. This issue opens with, both, Daredevil and Spider-Man singing the “Since My Baby Left Me” blues. Spidey sees DD and goes into a new chorus of “Look at That Guy!! Not A Care in the World!” blues. Deciding to go home and change, he notices a commotion outside of his window in the park. There’s an alien ship that is summoning Namor, the Sub-Mariner who, actually, responds. Namor, who has a reason to commiserate after the death of Dorma, ends up in a pointless battle with Spider-Man and Daredevil. Suddenly, there’s a flash of light and a strange woman appears and takes Spider-Man and Namor with her to….wherever!!! DD and the people in the park are left with no memory of the incident. Given the star power of this issue, I truly wanted to love this issue, but, I came away barely liking it. Grade: C
IRON MAN #39. Another story that I struggled to care about. Some dweeb called the White Dragon (no, not the other dweeb that fought Spider-Man. Who knew that there were two?!) wants to take control of Tony Stark which, in turn, would mean that he could infiltrate and destroy the Department of Defense. He, actually, succeeds in taking control of Stark, but, he doesn’t know that Stark is Iron Man and that his armor is interfering with the mind control device implanted in the base of Starks skull. *Sigh* I don’t know...this story just didn’t do anything for me. Even a brief appearance by the Avengers bored me. Three words I did NOT want to see at the end of this story: “Continued next issue”. Grade: F
SUB-MARINER #39. Still mourning the death of Lady Dorma, Namor takes up residence in an abandoned prison island near New York where he intends to live in peace. Of course, he’s spotted by an NYPD helicopter on patrol and, because it’s Namor, everyone is in an uproar and panicked beyond reason. First, he gets into a battle with the NYPD, then, the National Guard. The results are predictable, but, not the information that he receives at the end of the story courtesy of Diane Arliss who is now a reporter. This issue feels like a preamble to transition; like everything is about to change. I’m really curious to see where this lead. Grade: B
On sale the 2nd week of April 1971. AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #98. Spider-Man has one of the largest Rogue’s Galleries in comics. As a person who rarely read ASM or PPTSS, I wasn’t really up on how lethal some of his enemies are. Two that I always found corny were Dr. Octopus and the Green Goblin. I still say that Ock is a fat research scientist that has no business giving Spidey fits as he does, but, dammit if he doesn’t. He gives Spidey all he can handle every time. Same with the Goblin. Both characters seem silly to me, but, what makes them Holy terrors is how ruthless and vicious they are. All of this is on display as Norman Osborne is, once again, the Green Goblin and there’s no grand agenda here. He simply wants revenge and to end Spider-Man. Another great story. Grade: A-
INCREDIBLE HULK #141. Here’s another story that I’ve eagerly been anticipating. The first appearance of Doc Samson. After returning from the Microverse with only a vague memory of Jarella and the love he felt, the Hulk is wandering aimlessly (as he often does) while, nearby, Gen. Ross has brought in Dr. Leonard Samson, whose field is psychiatry, because he has theories about how to restore Betty to her human form after being turned into crystal. However, this involves, once again, capturing the Hulk. So, for the umpteenth time, they work up some gadget that captures him and takes him back to the base. They cure Betty AND Banner, as well. Samson, actually, comes off as something of a sleaze because it seems that his whole purpose was to steal the Hulk’s power for himself (which he does, somewhat) because he “always wanted to be a superhero 🙄 and the to steal Banner’s girl (which he also does). However, Bruce won’t stand for it! He’s so pissed that Samson is making time with Betty, Banner sneaks back into the lab and uses the machine that gave Samson the Hulk’s power on himself; thus, becoming the Hulk once again. At first, I thought that this was a pretty cool issue until I thought about something: we’ve watched Banner go through so much to get rid of the Hulk, losing his girlfriend is an absolutely ridiculous reason to purposely change himself back. I know that I’m reading way into this, lol, but, whoever dies from the “collateral damage” caused by one of the Hulk’s rampages, those deaths are on Banner. Anyway, lol, I enjoyed the issue a whole lot more until I started putting “deep” thought into a comic book. 😂 Grade: C+
CAPTAIN AMERICA AND THE FALCON #139. At the end of last month’s issue, we saw Cap ride off in a limousine with a mysterious figure. That figure turned out to be the NYPD Commissioner. He wants Cap to go undercover as a rookie police officer to investigate the strange disappearance of officers working the beat in a particular area. Cap accepts and is hoofin’ it when the neighborhood thugs decide to “welcome ‘the rookie’ to the neighborhood”. Don’t have to get into how that went, but what was particularly interesting was the person responsible for the disappearances. Definitely can’t wait for the next issue as one of my favorite baddies returns and no, it’s not the Red Skull, MODOK, or AIM! (Thank goodness!) This book seems to be on the rise. It’s been pretty good lately. Grade: B+
On sale the 3rd week of April 1971. AMAZING ADVENTURES #7. Inhumans: Gorgon, Medusa, Triton, and Karnak are all regaining consciousness after narrowly escaping Maximus last issue. They awaken on an island near Red China which is now occupied by the Red Chinese. However, their landing there was not without purpose. Meanwhile, an amnestic Black Bolt still roams the streets of San Francisco with the young boy, Joey, whom he rescued from a life of crime. Enter the mysterious Mr. Dibbs who knows who Black Bolt is and he has plans for him. Still enjoying this story. It’s nothing special, but enjoyable. Grade: C+
Black Widow: The Astrologer story concludes this issue. Last issue, the Astrologer kidnapped a scientist, and in this issue, he plans to ransom his off. *Sigh* this story has been nothing but ordinary since the first part. Grade: C-
On sale the 4th week of April 1971. FANTASTIC FOUR #112. The Thing vs the Hulk: Round 3 or 4 (not sure which)!!! Last issue, the Thing went on a rampage because Reed’s latest “cure” has affected Ben’s mind. He’s become cocky, arrogant, and violent, and is lashing out at any and everyone. So, what does one of the most “brilliant” scientists in the world do? He enlists the aid of the one man that shouldn’t be in the same state as the Thing: Dr. Robert Bruce Banner aka the Incredible Hulk. 😂😂😂 Just the sight of the Thing triggered the transformation and it’s now time for the war of the gargantuas!!! Okay, so the reason for them to fight this time is flimsy, but, I’ll be damned if a good ol’ Hulk vs Thing battle doesn’t make for great “ratings” 😂😂😂 Grade: A
CONAN THE BARBARIAN #7. Conan saves a woman, Lady Aztrias, who is about to be attacked by wolves. Despite her ungrateful and elitist demeanor, Conan agrees to become her chariot driver so that he could enter the city of Numalia. Once inside, Conan has a brief confrontation with a city guard and one of its Lords. It is broken up by Aztrias, who asks him to steal a treasure inside of the Hall of Relics. Inside, he faces betrayal and a serpent-like creature. A good issue, but, Conan’s wandering from adventure to adventure is becoming a little tedious. Still, it’s an enjoyable story. Grade: B-
Well, another month is done. It’s back to bed for me as I recover from my surgery. Fortunately, I wrote this a while ago. As always, thanks for the support. Let me know what you liked and, more importantly, what you disliked. Until next time, take care.
Top 5 Books of the Month:
1. FANTASTIC FOUR #112
2. AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #98
3. AVENGERS #89
4. CAPTAIN AMERICA AND THE FALCON #139
5. SUB-MARINER #39
Top 5 Covers of the Month:
1. AVENGERS #89
2. FANTASTIC FOUR #112
3. AMAZING ADVENTURES #7
4. IRON MAN #39
5. CAPTAIN AMERICA AND THE FALCON #139 |
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shown below This "crossover" was planned by Roy Thomas (Avengers) and Mike Friedrich (JLA).